The Charizard Chronicles
by shattered melodies
Summary: Hotaru Takahashi gets to travel all around the world with her dearest Charizard and Pokémon team. Along the way, she must battle against Team Flare and stop their progress while discovering the secrets of Mega Evolution. Seems plausible, just so long as her childhood rival doesn't stand in her way. Review !
1. Chapter 1: The Beginning

**Hello, everyone! **

**I'd consider this story to be AU and a combination of both _Pokémon X/Y_ and the anime.  
Basically, you'll get all the fun Pokémon battles with a character that's not Red or Ash.**

**I hope you enjoy~!**

* * *

The Charizard Chronicles  
_A Poké-Fiction  
__Chapter One: The Beginning_

'_Pokémon all healed; Full Restores and Full Heals in my bag; I'm just about ready-'_

"Hotaru!" A voice broke my thoughts from outside of my room. "Hotaru, are you in there?"

"Yeah, I'm here," I responded.

"We need your help! Those Team Flare grunts are back around… and they all seem to be gathering outside of Route 4…" He was panicked; I could practically hear his fingertips trembling on the doorknob. I turned to look at the Pokémon who stood beside me as we exchanged nods; he knew the drill by now. After all, Charizard and I have been through this many, many times before.

I threw my bag over my shoulder and ran out the door, Charizard right behind me. He roared when we hit the streets, like he was warning the citizens of the danger. When people saw the majestic Fire type and heard him roar, they didn't question the motives — they ran indoors to safety. They just knew.

Finding the grunts was disgustingly easy, though we remained hidden behind a few trees to spy. Out of the five of them that were there, three were sitting around, discussing how fashion-forward their orange suits were. However, the other two seemed to be harassing a Ralts that cowered into the corner of the hedges. The poor Pokémon shook furiously as he held his arm out in front of him, trying to create a distance between them.

"Come on, don't you want to join us?" one grunt said to the Ralts. He held a net in his arms to catch the Pokémon in such a humiliating way; my blood began to boil.

"Somebody would buy you for such a high price," the other said with a ghoulish grin; not even Gengar could create a smile as creepy as this grunt. "now, be a good little Pokémon and come quietly!"

"Leave Ralts alone!" I jumped out and ran in front of the poor Pokémon. Charizard stood beside me, just as he always had, and let out a very pissed off growl. Some of the grunts were stunted in fear, but the two who attempted to capture Ralts stood their ground. They looked exactly like each other; the same orange hair with the bangs in a curl, the same orange sunglasses, and the same orange suit.

"Oh, and what are you gonna do about it, little girl? Get out of the way; adults are working here."

"Heh, let me know when you find those adults." I smirked as I put my hands on my hips. The one grunt to my right twitched his eyes as he hissed in response.

"Smart aleck, aren't you?" He took out a Pokéball. "Well, let's see how you're talking after this" — he tossed the Pokéball into the air — "go, Mightyena!" The other grunt did the same, only he used a Liepard. I nodded to Charizard who took a stance in front of me, ready for battle. Even though I knew Charizard would have no problem handling these two Pokémon on his own, rules are rules — I threw one of my Pokéballs and Lucario joined the match. There was a bit of a pause, neither grunt wanting to make the first move.

"Go ahead, give us your best shot," I said with an edge in my voice, my smirk widening. Sometimes I couldn't resist antagonizing the antagonist, even a little bit.

The one on my right twitched again and pointed at Charizard with his index finger. "Mightyena, use Crunch!" The Mightyena zoomed forward, muttering his name as he ran. Just as he pounced, his sharp canine teeth ready to attack, I retaliated. "Charizard, use Flamethrower!" Like a volcano spewing hot lava, his red fire exploded from his mouth, hitting Mightyena square in the chest. He was sent flying backward toward his trainer, severely burned and slightly steaming. He couldn't continue fighting. The other grunt, however nervous, launched his attack. "Liepard, use Slash!" While the attack was meant to hit Charizard, Lucario instinctively jumped in front of his comrade - he must have been in tune with my thoughts - and in the knick of time, I instructed him. "Lucario, Aura Sphere!" He was still in mid-air. He drew his arms back as a swirling, blue and white ball of energy collected in his paws. With a snap of his wrists, the ball of energy flew at Liepard with incredible speed he just couldn't dodge in time. The Liepard hit the ground in front of his own trainer, unable to battle, either.

"What— that's not possible…" one grunt said to himself, staring in shock at his collapsed Pokémon.

"It's not over yet — go, Scraggy!" the other yelled, throwing another Pokéball into the air. Out popped a short and orange Pokémon with his straight teeth bared; he was stuck showing his front teeth. "Use High Jump Kick!" The Scraggy leaped forward, determined for his foot to connect to either Charizard or Lucario. However, the only thing his foot connected to was a hedge, causing some damage to himself. Charizard and Lucario effortlessly twisted their bodies out of the way. Scraggy got up, a couple of twigs in his pants.

Furious that the battle wasn't going in his favor, he began to bark orders toward his Pokémon. "Ugh, USE FIRE PUNCH! Let's see how Lucario likes that, girl!" The Scraggy jumped up, his fist becoming engulfed in flame as he zoomed in toward Lucario.

"Use Dragon Pulse!" I said. This attack was Special; Lucario wasn't going to get hit. He put his paws out in front of him as a surge of purple and blue energy collected and then exploded outward toward Scraggy. He couldn't stop himself, either; Scraggy took the full force of the attack, and he, too, was unable to battle.

The grunt stared in utter shock and hatred. "Defeated by a runt…" he growled under his breath, furious that he also had to hand over 700 Poké-dollars. "Who are you?!"

"What, you mean your boss forgot to mention my name?" I nearly shut my eyes as I mocked glaring at them. I stepped forward, past my two Pokémon and stood tall a few meters away from them. "My name is Hotaru Takahashi." Their faces lit up in fear; it was quite unusual, seeing as most grunts had peas for brains.

"H-Hotaru T-Takahashi…?" The grunt to my right stuttered.

"Your business here is over. Do you understand me? It's _over_. Now leave these poor Pokémon alone — including Ralts — and get out of here, before Charizard really gets mad." The two of them looked back at Charizard, who correctly timed a loud, proud roar, one that was loud enough for the heavens to hear. The three grunts who sat around had made their exit once they saw Lucario enter the picture; the two remaining ones immediately recalled their fainted Pokémon and made a speedy exit. I sighed, relieved they were gone, and turned to face the shaken Ralts. I approached him slowly, kept my voice low, and smiled somewhat sheepishly.

"I'm so sorry those guys harassed you. You're not hurt, are you?" The Ralts took a moment before shaking his head no. "That's good. We got to get you back into the tall grass and out of sight in case they show up again." Maybe he had family waiting for him, or an older Pokémon that could protect him. He did look rather young. Ralts managed to get back on his feet, some of his scratches finally showing on top of his head and on his cheeks. Nothing serious, but still took some damage.

"Hey, I can help you with—" I turned my head to get a Full Restore out of my bag, but he scurried away just as I let my eyes off him. He was gone before I reached my healing items. Charizard came up behind me - Lucario beside him - and cocked his head to the side. "I guess he didn't want any more help," I told him. "he was really scared; the poor thing…"

After putting Lucario back in his Pokéball, I sent out Salamence and rode on her back, Charizard remaining on the ground. Sometimes I wondered to myself why I never taught him Fly, but then again, it had always been Salamence's dream to do so; I couldn't rob my Pokémon of something she loved.

Her red wings spread wide and slowly flapped as we flew fifteen meters in the air, seeing if any Team Flare members were trying to hide in the hedges. The area was quiet; there didn't seem to be anyone around. The Pokémon could relax for a while.

"Hotaru!" I made it back to Lumiose City and was immediately greeted by Professor Sycamore, his grin ever present. "I take it you defeated those guys?"

"Yeah. Well, I can't take all the credit. Charizard and Lucario are the real heroes here," I responded with a smile toward my fire-flying Pokémon, my hand petting the orange skin on his snout. He leaned into my hand, sighing in relief. I even gave Lucario's Pokéball a quick kiss so he could feel the love as well.

"You guys make a great team!" The Professor smiled, staring at Charizard in awe. "I have something for you back in my lab; I think you'll find it useful." He lead the way back to his laboratory, a magnificent three story building with two Pokéball statues greeting guests. His two aides, Dexio and Sina, were waiting for us in his office, each with their own excited grins plastered on thin lips.

"Welcome back, Hotaru-san!" said Sina.

"Another day, another win?" said Dexio. Charizard responded in his husky growl of a voice. He did the Charizard equivalent of a smile, his mouth open so he could bare his teeth. "Wonderful!"

"Now, Hotaru… as you know, I've been studying Mega Evolutions for quite some time now. And our good friend, the Mega Evolution guru — Gurkinn — had stopped by today to deliver two special stones." He took out a silver box from a cabinet and held it in his hands. "But these stones aren't just any kind of stones." He opened the box to reveal a green and blue stone in the crevice of a black bracelet on one side and a yellow and red stone inside a similar bracelet on the other. My jaw dropped slighty; the yellow and red one was, in a word, beautiful. Quite sparkly. "These two gems in conjunction can help a Pokémon - specifically Charizard - evolve even further. AKA these two stones are the keys to his Mega Evolution. This bracelet is for you —" he took it out of the box and handed it to me — "and this one is for Charizard. It's a Charizardite." The Professor offered the bracelet to Charizard, who stuck his left arm out to accept it. It was placed on his wrist loose enough to be comfortable but tight enough not fall off; I did the same.

"Now, I believe you two have the potential to excel in Mega Evolution. The bond you two share is undeniably close, which we have noticed is a crucial part in the process. Of course, this part of your journey is all up to you. But I really want you guys to have these for all your hard work with Team Flare. I think you'll find it useful."

"Thank you, Professor." I turned to face my beloved Pokémon. "What do you say, buddy? Give Mega Evolution a try?" I asked Charizard, petting his snout the way he liked. He responded with a happy bark. "We'll do it."

"Excellent! To activate the Mega Evolution, just hold up your bracelet and tap the stone," he said. "Hopefully this will add a kick in your step, but Charizard isn't the only one who has Mega Evolution; Venasaur and Blastoise can do so, too. And if I remember the Mega Evolution guru correctly, he said Lucario was able to, too. Not all Pokémon are able to Mega-Evolve, but it's still so exciting that there are some out there."

"Great! And I'm sure my Lucario wouldn't mind either. I'll keep a list for you if I see any Megas."

"Thank you, Hotaru. Are you going to stay in Lumiose for a while?"

"Nah, I was heading out when I was called for help. On to the next town for me!"

"Well, we wish you good health and luck. And to Charizard and the rest of your team as well. We will see you again soon!"

"Thanks! See you soon, Professor!"

Charizard and I were out the door and advancing to the next time in a matter of minutes. The citizens had returned to the streets with Skiddos and Furfrous running down the sidewalks and people generally enjoying the breezy weather. The peace came back quickly, which was always a hopeful sign. Charizard hovered next to me as we went toward Route 5; occasionally, people would marvel at him or shake my hand. They'd want to pet him or offer him a snack, which never really bothered me. Charizard enjoyed people, so he was okay with the petting and offerings. At the ripe age of 15, I became a household name for defeating members of Team Flare and forcing them to retreat. It all happened so quickly within the last year that when strangers show such kindness to me or my team, my head spins; I went from a normal Pokémon trainer with a Charmander to a force to be reckoned with, with a Charizard. I had seen a group of Team Flare members a while back, harassing Pokémon in the Pokémon Village by Snowbelle City. I got my last badge, and at the time, Team Flare wasn't all that known to people. They ran away when I defeated them; they weren't the weakest of the grunts but definitely not the strongest. After that encounter with them, they were suddenly appearing in almost every city I went to, Grunts, Admins, Scientists, et cetera. People and Pokémon needed help, and I was just around to be that help. I guess after a while, the gossip spread from town to town and city to city. Honestly, as long as I got to travel around with my Pokémon, I was happy to be of service to those people. I don't think that'll ever change.


	2. Chapter 2: New Life

The Charizard Chronicles  
_A Poké-Fiction  
__Chapter Two: New Life_

We made it through Route 5 pretty uneventfully; there were a couple trainers waiting for battle, some attempting to catch a new friend, and some skating freely in the skate park. A few skaters approached me for a battle (I guess Charizard intrigued them), and while we went easy on them (no Mega Evolution, either), they still were no match. They didn't fret too much, though; they were always just happy to use their Pokémon.

Camphrier Town was the connecting town from Route 5, home of the Shabboneau Castle. Population of twenty souls, it was quiet and full of history. And just as quietly as the town lay, we exited it to continue. No one seemed to notice, and Team Flare was nowhere to be found.

Charizard hovered beside me as we walked through Route 7, his green wings flapping slowly. The scenery around us was magnificent; once we passed through the forest, to our right was a sparkling river. Water Pokémon were swimming in schools alongside fish, unknowing of all that happened above sea. I recognized the area; just up ahead was the Day Care Center. The Pokémon could play with one another outside in the grass and go into the pretty little home to eat and rest. Normally, I'd just walk by, but a dear friend of mine worked here, and I couldn't resist a visit.

I saw her leaning against the fence outside, staring at all the Pokémon playing together friskily. "Hikaru-chan!" I said, running up to her with a smile on my face. She seemed startled, but once she saw me, she returned a grin.

"Hotaru-chan, hey!" she replied as we embraced one another. Charizard yelped, hinting that he was there as well. "oh, and hello to you, too, Charizard." Hikaru chuckled as she petted his snout. He sighed happily, his lips crookedly creating a smile. "You've gotten so big! Last time I saw you, you were still an itty-bitty Charmander."

"Has it really been that long?" I asked, running my nails through my bangs to flip my orange hair back.

"Let's see, you left Santalune City what, two, three years ago? It's definitely been some time. But the last time you came here was last year." She pouted a little bit. "No letters or notes or anything at all to your best friend? You could've sent one via Charizard! I got sick of hearing about all your heroism without seeing that lovely face of yours and hearing it all from you." She snorted as she shook her head, her brunette locks shaking with her. Regardless, the slight curve in the corner of her lip and the glimmer in her brown eyes told me another story.

I laughed, imagining the idea of Charizard-mail, and blushed at _heroism_. "Only problem is, Charizard doesn't know Fly," I said, knowing in the back of my mind that my Salamence knew Fly. Maybe Salamence-mail could be a thing? I could send letters to my dad that way, wherever he is.

"He can still physically fly by himself; I mean, he's hovering right now."

I glanced at him, kind of tempted to teach him Fly, just to be safe. "Charizard-mail, huh?" He looked at me with his head cocked to the side. I could see the question mark above his head, wondering what we were discussing.

"We have to try that out sometime," Hikaru said before grimacing a bit. "but before we continue on this tangent, I'm actually really glad to see you. One, because I haven't seen you in a year, of course, and two, we have a problem."

"What's wrong?"

"Our dear friends at Team Flare think they have the right to barge into the house and steal the Pokémon eggs." Her face darkened at the thought of the criminal organization, her eyes squinting in disgust and her lips folding in upon themselves.

"And I thought they couldn't get any lower." I rolled my eyes; these guys got on my nerves so easily.

"They mentioned something about selling these eggs on the black market for a hefty price since some of these eggs contain rare Pokémon. You know, they really piss me off; who gave them the right? Some trainers are trying to obtain new Pokémon to fill their Pokédexes or simply get a new friend. And these jerks come in and take them… they're lower than scum."

"They're inwardly focused, narcissistic, vain fools." Even Charizard growled at the mention of Team Flare. He must have hated them, too. "But I'll definitely help. _We'll_ help," I said, referring to Charizard and me. "Fill me in on all the details."

We went inside the house to find the Day Care Lady sweeping up some shattered glass. There were supposed to be many different glass containers - incubators, I believe - that filled the right half of the house, but alas, only a few remained, and even fewer contained Pokémon eggs.

"Marina-san, this is my friend Hotaru," Hikaru introduced me. The Day Care Lady spun around, her sunken face sullen. "She's here to help."

"Nice to meet you, Hotaru," she replied as we shook hands.

"Nice to meet you, too."

"They've stolen about fifteen eggs in the past few days alone," Hikaru said. "and as you can tell, they can get violent."

"When did this start?"

"Three days ago. They've been coming at sunset as well." Hikaru bit her lip, trying to hold back her frustration. "We do our best to defend the property, but sometimes our best is not enough."

"The Pokémon are scared, and trainers are coming to get their Pokémon at an alarmingly fast rate," the Day Care Lady suddenly added. "they don't want their Pokémon in danger, understandably, but we'll run out of business if this keeps up."

A Bulbasaur walked up to us from the back door, looking only at Hikaru. There wasn't fear in his eyes, but more or less, there was worry. Hikaru picked him up and held the green Pocket Monster like he was a baby; close to her heart with her hand over the grassy bulb on his back. "It's okay, little guy; we'll be fine. Hotaru-chan here can help." The Bulbasaur peeked a glance at me, and I just melted. He was one of the cutest Grass Pokémon I've ever laid eyes on, and I just wanted a turn at hugging him. Although he seemed a little bit wary of me, he stuck his paw out as if he wanted to shake my hand. My face turned red as I took his paw gently with my index finger and thumb. My heart was exploding with happiness at this very moment.

"I'll do my best, Bulbasaur," I said quietly, with a bit of a shy smile. "The bad guys won't hurt any of you again. Charizard will make sure of that." Bulbasaur saw Charizard and hid in Hikaru's shoulder. Grass was weak against Fire, so I kind of understood his perspective. Though I've been around Charizard for so long now that I know he wouldn't hurt an innocent little Bulbasaur just for the hell of it; he wouldn't even attack a fly without my saying so.

"Bulby here hatched a week ago, so he's still so young. He gets scared easily, and Team Flare isn't making any of this easier," said the Day Care Lady. She walked over to us, a grey haired, plump woman with a few wrinkles by her mouth. She had a bandana over her hair and wore an apron. "They took a couple of his friends, too. Oshawott, Turtwig; they hatched with Bulbasaur, and they were taken just yesterday."

"Those despicable little…" I sighed, clenching my fists. I looked outside, my reflection revealing how truly angry my facial expression was. All the little lines under and around my eyes were present. "We'll get them today. This goes no further!"

We waited about an hour until sunset came. And just on time, there was banging on the door.

"Open up, ladies!" A rough voice barked. Hikaru glared at the door as she put her arm in front of the Day Care Lady in a protective manner. "You owe us some eggs!"

"Hikaru-chan, protect Marina-san and the Pokémon. We'll handle this," I whispered and she nodded. "Be careful," she whispered back to me. The two of them gathered the Pokémon and the remaining eggs and headed outside to hide behind the house.

I opened the door just enough so they could see only me. "Can I help you fine, fine gentlemen?" I asked with a bit of a condescending smile.

"Who are you, you little runt?" The one in front of me said, his voice hissing. He must have been an admin. His orange hair was slicked back to the tips of his shoulder blades, and he was at least three times my size, in height and weight. His orange suit looked way too tight on him; it'd probably disintegrate if he decided to go Hulk. The guy was incredibly big boned and muscular, too. If I didn't have my Pokémon here to protect me, I'd probably be scared he would crush me.

"Oh no, the real question, my friend, is, what are you doing here? I mean, trying to get a hit on a little Day Care Center? Team Flare must really be struggling!" His puffy face began to fume at my comments, but never the less I continued. He had no idea what anger was. "Or are you guys just so unsatisfied with your positions in the Team that you feel like the only way to convince yourself - and Boss Man - that you're actually strong and manly and worthy is to bully a Day Care Center and steal all the eggs? Man, the boss must think so lowly of you."

He banged his arm against the door frame, completely destroying the wood, and stuck his face right in front of mine; the stench of his breath was worse than that of a Trubbish. "Now, you listen to me, you little runt —" He managed to hiss before Charizard jumped forward to protect me, his roar forcing this guy to back off me. Charizard made his way in front of me, spreading his wings out to show them just how big of a Pokémon he was.

"Boss!" The two scrawnier grunts ran to his side, trying to come to his aide. He pushed them away.

"Oh, so you think you're high and mighty because you have a weak little Charizard?" He tried to act cool, but his façade was weak. "I remember you now; you're Hotaru Takahashi. Number two of your class at the Pokémon Trainer School in Santalune City, second only to Kyou Hatori. You know, everyone can recognize you from the Charizard by your side; even the boss has taken quite a liking to you. Heh, this will be better than I expected! You'll be our prisoner when I win, AND we'll get some eggs!"

"Better yet, let's make this a three-on-three battle! If you think you can handle that, Tiny." I winked at him, fueling anger inside of him. While I was sure that they wouldn't be a problem, this was also my way of keeping an eye on all three of them; that way, no one could go sneaking off.

"Alright, men; release Pokémon! Go Manectric!" said the admin.

"Right — go, Houndoom!"

"Go Swalot!"

The three Pokémon appeared beside each other, ready to fight. Charizard and I glanced at each other, and he knew to take center stage. I took two Pokéballs from my belt and tossed them into the air.

"Lucario, Arcanine!" They appeared on either side of Charizard, taking their sturdy stances. Arcanine himself positioned himself to better his Ability, Intimidate. The three opposing Pokémon took a step back, falling victim to Intimidate.

"Manectric, use Spark on Charizard!" The electric Pokémon dashed forward, saying his name over and over as he lit up in electricity.

"Arcanine, cover Charizard and use Heat Wave!" Arcanine barked as he jumped in front of Charizard. He lowered himself a bit, his body becoming a coral color, before standing up to let out a roar; an explosion of incredible heat blasting from every part of his wolf-like body. Heat Wave slammed right into Manectric, severely burning him and throwing him back.

"Swalot, use Acid Spray on Arcanine!"

"Lucario, take the hit!" Lucario did as told, and remained unaffected while protecting Arcanine. Because he was also a Steel-type, Poison attacks did nothing to him.

"Why you-!" The Admin growled, shaking his fist.

"Giving up yet? We haven't even warmed up yet!" I said in return, smirking.

"Not on your life!" He raised his fist in the air, revealing a Mega Stone in a bracelet. "Manectric, Mega Evolve!" The process was quite interesting; they both glowed, the Admin from his bracelet and Manectric's entire body. Manectric grew at least a foot in size, and his already spiky fur became even spikier, if that were possible. And the way that he looked at us, there was something unusually _intimidating_ about it. Kinda creepy. "What's the matter, Hotaru-chan?" he said in a holier-than-thou attitude. "You seem surprised. I guess we're a bigger threat than you supposed?"

While I was caught off guard, it would hardly make a difference. Charizard could Mega-Evolve now, too, but I didn't want to waste it on some low life Team Flare guy. "He got some extra spikes. Big deal. Mega-Evolved or not, I'll show you some real power. Charizard, use Flamethrower!" He jumped up from behind Lucario and Arcanine and with incredible speed, he zoomed straight for Manectric, a fire ball forming in his mouth.

"Mega Manectric, use Wild Charge!" Manectric was faster than Charizard, and hit him square in the chest. They both lit up in sparks, Charizard thrown back and skidding across the ground (Arcanine managed to stop him, though). My heart stopped since he's weak against Electric types, though I kept my composure. He still got up, though it wasn't easy for him; he did take a lot of damage.

And so did Manectric. "Charizard, are you okay, buddy?" I asked to be sure; he nodded to me, ready to fight. Always so strong.

"Heh, this is the best Charizard you could've mustered? I've seen stronger Magikarp!" The Admin antagonized. His lackeys joined in on the cackling. "I guess you're not as great as they say."

While they were busy praising themselves, I took advantage of the opening. "Lucario, use Bulldoze on Manectric!" Lucario sped forward, destroying the ground beneath him as he ran straight into the Electric Pokémon. Manectric cried out as he landed by his master's feet, unable to battle. The grunts and Admin immediately silenced themselves, shocked by the sudden turn of events.

"Still think I'm a half-baked trainer?" I rebutted, mentally praising Lucario. Our bond together as Pokémon and Trainer was strong; he landed a Critical Hit!

"You shut your trap, you brat!" He hissed, pushing the two grunts over. "Swalot, use Sludge Wave! Houndoom, Flamethrower!" The Pokémon did as they were told, but their speed simply couldn't match up to my Pokémon. Charizard had stood in front of Arcanine and Lucario, wanting to show that he had legendary strength. I trusted him, and he trusted me.

"Charizard, dodge Houndoom and use Fire Blast on Swalot!" He flew past Houndoom and let his flames burst out of his mouth, the great "big" character slamming into the Swalot at an increased power. Charizard's Ability was Blaze, which powered up his fire type moves whenever he was weakened. Swalot couldn't move after taking the full power of the attack; another Pokémon down.

"UGH! You call yourself a trainer?!" He yelled at his grunt. "Your Pokémon are pathetic!"

"Said by the Admin whose Mega-Evolved Manectric was the first to faint," I interjected, folding my arms across my chest.

"SHUT UP! Houndoom, use Flamethrower!"

"Arcanine, Extreme Speed!" Arcanine tackled Houndoom before Houndoom had the chance to create a fire, flying backward from the power. "Now, Lucario, use Aura Sphere!" Lucario gathered energy in his paws and threw it at Houndoom, who then ended up in the air. "Now Charizard, finish it off with Dragon Claw!" With great agility, he flew up to Houndoom, his three claws extending and lighting up with a blue energy. One swift motion was all he needed to finish the job. Houndoom hit the ground, unable to battle.

Stunned, the Admin just stared in shock at his fainted Pokémon. Charizard eased himself back onto the ground beside his two friends, and prepared himself in case they had more Pokémon to showcase. "No… no, I won't accept this," was all he could say.

"Even if you don't, it still happened," I responded. I continued, and my voice was, in a word, authoritative. "It's over. Unless you have another Pokémon, your business here is done. Turn around and don't ever come back — if you do, you'll have us to deal with. And we won't be nearly as friendly."

"Er, curses… I won't forget this, kid!" He turned around, unable to look me right in the eye. "Let's get out of here."

Over. They ran away like the cowards they are. I sighed in relief as I walked over to my Pokémon, giving them all a big hug for their efforts. "Thanks, guys…" I whispered, spraying a Hyper Potion on Charizard, restoring his health. "You were all amazing; I couldn't be prouder." They all cooed in response; for as big as Charizard and Arcanine were, they were especially huggable and even teddy bear-like. Lucario was significantly shorter than them, but he too was a big softie.

"Hotaru, I can't thank you enough for this," The Day Care Lady said when we all recuperated indoors. She viciously shook my hand and had a huge smile on her face. Hikaru looked relieved. The few Pokémon that remained in the Day Care all happily ran around in the house and outdoors, knowing that they were once again safe. "You've saved us all!"

"All in a day's work, ma'am!" I grinned, happy knowing that my Pokémon's efforts would have a lasting effect.

"To reward your efforts, we'd like you to have this Poké-Egg," said Hikaru, who handed me a travel incubator, inside an orange egg with a few spots. "What Pokémon is inside? Well, you'll see!" She winked at me as we shared a quick laugh.

"Well, thank you for this. But are you sure it's okay for me to have this egg?"

"Absolutely! I insist," The Day Care Lady said. "And you should spend the night here with us, just to rest up."

"Oh, wow, you're too kind!" I bowed to her to show my appreciation and thanks. "I'm sure my Pokémon wouldn't mind the rest, either."

"Yeah, and you and I have a lot of catching up to do!" Hikaru threw her arm around me and pulled me in close. "It's like I haven't seen you in a year!"

It was probably the best night I've had on this entire journey so far. There were no spectacular events like fireworks or a band or a magician, but it was my best friend and me together again, eating dinner by a campfire surrounded by infant Pokémon and our older Pokémon (she had a Venusaur who helped around the Day Care). We got to lay in the grass and point out constellations, watching the different stars and galaxies sparkle in the clear night sky. We almost never stopped talking, and I almost got her to tell me what the egg would hatch into. Morning came way too quickly.

"Thank you again for last night, you two," I said as I was on my way out.

"Hey, next time, come back a little sooner. Or send Charizard!" Hikaru said, waving to me.

"Will do!" Charizard and I, healthy and clean, made our way along the dirt path, advancing toward the Connecting Cave.

"Hotaru-chan, is that you?" Someone spoke. I knew that voice; upon hearing it, a lightning bolt struck through my body metaphorically, and I couldn't move. My heart must've skipped a few beats. I turned around to see his untidy black hair, sickeningly brown eyes, and that putrid, smug grin on his face. My face became redder than Charizard's fire as I growled in the presence of my rival, the number one in my class.

"Kyou…"


	3. Chapter 3: Stupid Rivalry

The Charizard Chronicles

_A Poke-fiction_

_Chapter Three: Stupid Rivalry_

"Fancy meeting you here, Hotaru-chan," Mister "Number One" said in his fake, gentle voice. I hated the way he called me _-chan_; there was something so degrading about how he said it. Kyou's gentle demeanor was a lie, no matter what the situation was. He put his hands on his hips and looked at me through a glazed expression. God, his stare physically sickened me, and all I could do was glare in response.

"Yeah, fancy," I said through gritted teeth. "What are you doing on Route 5?"

"Oh, you know, the usual… completing the Pokédex, excelling in all that I do…" His eyes looked toward the sky as he swayed a little bit. "I heard from Professor Sycamore that he gave you and your Charizard some stones." He looked back at me, that disgusting smirk returning to his face. "You and Mega Evolution?"

"That's none of your business, Kyou." My voice got meaner with every word; even Charizard seemed confused by how harsh my tone became. I couldn't help it; this guy had a way of getting under my skin.

"Ah, but you see, he entrusted me with the same task; after all, I'm his apprentice as well." He drew closer to me, taking each step slow like he wanted to cherish the moment. "Do you know how special Charizard is when it comes to Mega Evolution? You see, he has two stones, thus two Mega forms."

"Good to know, now leave us in peace." I turned to walk away, not wanting to stand in his presence for much longer. I didn't want to contract _jerk_.

"Oi, Hotaru-chan! Don't just walk away from me - we owe each other a battle!" I spun around to face him again, knowing full well the unspoken rules of our rivalry; we had to battle whenever we saw each other. "I'll make it worth your while; I'll show you mine if you show me yours."

Curse our rules. "…Fine," I said, rolling my eyes as I looked to Charizard. "I'll save you as my trump card, buddy." He nodded and took a few steps back as I felt the Pokéballs on my belt.

"Go ahead, ladies first."

"Oh no, I insist; _you_ go first."

"Trying to decide what Pokémon based off mine? How basic." He was just toying with me, but nevertheless, my heart banged against my ribcage. Anger had a way of becoming stress. "But if you insist… Tyrantrum, I choose you." The red and gold scaled dinosaur slammed his two feet against the ground hard, letting out his battle cry. He stood a good distance away from Kyou so he could sweep the dirt on the ground with his mighty tail. Type-wise, he had me beat - my dragons were also half flying, and flying against rock is never ideal. Dragon vs Dragon cancels out, too.

Nevertheless, it's always a good idea to have a plan. "Dragonite, I choose you!" I took out her Great Ball and released her. Her tiny yet powerful wings did well to keep her in midair as she let out her cutesy roar. Kyou tried to stifle a laugh when he saw my Pokemon.

"Uhm, good choice?" he said. I glared in response. "The lady can attack first, since she graciously let my Pokemon out first." He looked away and covered his mouth, tauntingly adding a whispered, "not that it matters anyway."

"Dragonite, use Steel Wing!" I said, Dragonite's two blue wings solidifying into, quite literally, steel wings. She flew forward at an impressive speed. I was waiting for Kyou to say "dodge it" or something so I could direct Dragonite to turn around and counter, but no, he remained still, letting his Tyrantrum get hit. Kyou didn't flinch.

"What are you-" I started, but he cut me off as I noticed Tyrantrum had grabbed onto Dragonite's wing, and he wasn't letting go. He must've taken some damage, but did he really just stop Dragonite's attack?

Without hesitation, he said, "Head Smash!" Tyrantrum's thick skull rammed right into Dragonite's head, throwing the Dragon right back to me. Her body - particularly her head - was severely cut up (Head Smash is a Rock-type move), and it looked like she could barely get up. My heart stopped as my breathing picked up.

"Dragonite!" I cried, running over to her. Had I gotten so used to winning battles that seeing any of my Pokemon get manhandled so early in the match that much more devastating?

"Just as I suspected, you're still weak." Kyou shrugged as he withdrew his Tyrantrum. I could only glare at him as I held back all my tears. Dragonite couldn't battle. "I shouldn't be too surprised; you've never beaten me before. Why would today be any different?" He laughed as if he cracked the greatest joke. "However entertaining it may be kicking your butt at battles, I didn't come for just any battle —"

"Lucario, go!" Before he could finish his sentence, I withdrew Dragonite and let Lucario go. Kyou sighed and shrugged.

"Alright, if you want to keep humiliating yourself…" He grabbed a Pokéball and tossed it. "Blaziken, I choose you." He wasn't just any old Blaziken, either. My eyes widened as the stars and colors enveloped this maroon colored Pokémon. My rival caught a Shiny. He noticed the way I gawked and couldn't resist a smirk. Is that seriously all he could do - smirk? "Yes, Hotaru-chan. I've captured the one kind of Pokémon you've always wanted to witness - a Shiny! I can feel your envy."

My cheeks reddened, trying my best to ignore his taunt. "Lucario, Bulldoze!" Lucario acted rather strangely. There was something about the way he presented himself, like he had something to prove; could he feel my anger or was this something else? He ran forward, destroying the ground beneath him like it was nothing. Shiny Blaziken did his best to avoid being trampled as he effortlessly jumped from one cracked part of the ground to the other, however, he didn't anticipate some of the ground and slipped - creating an opportunity for Lucario to slam right into him. Perfect - Ground beat Fire. Shiny Blaziken did his best to land on his feet, but the damage he took was too great so he fell onto his knee, huffing and puffing. This felt more like I was used to; I was back in control. I could always count on Lucario!

"Still think I'm a half-baked Trainer?" I asked, smirking for myself this time.

Kyou shrugged. "Good for you; you got a hit. Just don't expect too much. Blaziken, use Sky Uppercut." Shiny Blaziken jumped to his feet and landed his move before I could even blink; he kicked Lucario into the air before slamming down on him with enough force to crater the ground. I had to shield my eyes with my arm so the dust wouldn't get in my eyes. Shiny Blaziken returned to his Trainer, still on one knee and huffing. After a moment, Lucario came crawling out of the hole, just as injured as Shiny Blaziken - if not more. He managed to find the strength to stand, though I'm not sure how he did. The guts on this Pokémon was insane; I had to wipe the tears away from my eyes. That move should've made him faint, and yet here he was, barely able to stand. He was running on pure will at this point, wasn't he?

Kyou let the air settle around him. I could tell he was trying to think of a way to end this quickly, even with his Shiny Blaziken being so injured. "Blaziken…" he started. "…overheat."

"Aura Sphere!" Without even thinking, I blurted out the first move that came to mind. Shiny Blaziken had a light orange ball of fire grow in his mouth as Lucario had a light blue ball of energy grow in his paws. The two moves didn't collide with each other; they both landed on the opposite Pokémon, causing a double knock out.

"Great, now that that's out of the way…" Kyou said as if nothing had just happened. His Pokémon just fainted - both of our Pokémon, technically - and he was just continuing a conversation like _nothing just happened_. I expected some sort of surprise, but no, nothing came. My heart was beating hard against my chest, and my body trembled as I held Lucario in my lap, hoping he would be okay. "I wanted to see your Mega Charizard. We can compare. That's what I came here for. Not that your Charizard has a chance in beating mine, just would like to see what he's like!"

I remembered when we were in the same school together. We both somehow managed to get Charmanders in the same day, and every day, the two of us would battle with our tiny Charmanders. And no matter how hard I trained mine - before, during, and after school - Kyou, the lazy, arrogant, but incredibly smart jerk, always managed to get one on me. It was haunting and menacing, but I never gave up the hope that one day I would be able to just beat him once. That's all I needed, just that one time that validates my work and my Pokémon's work.

Charizard stood in front of me, his wings spreading as he let out his typical low growl. He wanted to fight, and I couldn't deny him that. "I believe in you, Char." I said as I let my hand rub over his snout the way he likes. He leaned into my hand and closed his eyes for a brief moment. "Take him out," I told Kyou. "Let's see if he can beat my Charizard."

He did as he was told, Charizard's lookalike in front of his trainer. Around his neck was a dark stone, unlike the one my Charizard had. "Let's skip to it then, shall we? Charizard, Mega-evolve!" Kyou pinched the Mega stone in his ear, activating it as Charizard's stone began to glow as well. Their energies met and synchronized as his Charizard began to lighten. His wings retracted a bit as they spiked outward and something spit out from both sides of his snout. As he stopped his transformation, the difference was astounding. He became new colors - black all over with a light blue belly and demonic red eyes. On either side of his mouth, he was literally spitting blue fire. His newfound appearance was actually rather… intimidating. Would my Charizard look like that, too?

I gave my Charizard one last look, hopefully not showing how nervous I was (neither of us used Mega Evolution yet), but he seemed strong, ready. I nodded my head, putting all my faith into him. He could do this. "Charizard, Mega-evolve," I said calmly, pinching the Mega stone on my bracelet. It was my Charizard's turn to glow, and glow he did. His wings grew significantly and rather violently. The horns on his head sprouted a much larger third one in the middle, and on his tail specifically, spikes formed. Skin grew off of his arms, almost like wings. When he was done, he was so familiar, yet there was an aura of power in place of intimidation. He looked like a true dragon, his wings ripped and uneven and proud. He remained orange, though it seemed like a darker orange. There were no words I could begin to say as I watched my best friend hover in front of me with a new found strength. If anyone could put an end to Kyou's bullying, it would be Charizard.

"So that is the other Charizard…" he mused to himself, his eyes sparkling and his face relaxed. He was genuinely interested. "Let's have some fun, shall we? Mega Charizard, use Fire Blast." His Mega complied as he flung his blue flames at us.

"Mega Charizard, use Fire Blast, too!" I was hoping the moves would cancel out, but something even better happened. My Mega threw his orange fire in retaliation, and not only beat out the blue flames, but managed to damage Kyou's Mega, even the slightest. My Mega must have a higher Special Attack than Kyou's Mega; thank goodness for that.

"Is that all you got?" Kyou said unaffected.

"Mega Charizard, use Flamethrower!" I said. A blast of orange and red flames went roaring toward the black and blue Mega with a greater intensity than that of a regular Charizard.

"Dodge it," Kyou said as his Pokémon obliged. My Mega seemed to hear my thoughts as he realigned himself to hit Kyou's Mega. Even though Kyou's Mega kept dodging, my Mega didn't give up. Kyou's Mega seemed to get closer and closer, so to seize the moment, I said, "Use Dragon Claw!" My Mega flew up, his claws lighting up as he hit Kyou's Mega square in the chest. The Mega seemed to take it pretty badly; he hit the ground with a _thud_ as he shook and trembled. Wasn't he just a Fire/Flying type still? Unless…

"What's wrong, Kyou? Your Pokémon can't handle a little Dragon type move?" I taunted; it felt so good to be on the giving end this time.

"He's Fire/Dragon in this form," he grumbled. "but don't count your blessings yet." His Mega got back to his feet as my Mega hovered in midair, his powerful wings keeping him well in one place.

"Mega Charizard, use Dragon Claw again!" My Mega flashed forward, his claws readying for an attack.

Kyou waited for the right moment to attack. When my Mega was close enough to be unable to stop himself, he commanded, "Mega Charizard, use Rock Slide."

"NO!" Regardless of my shout, it was too late. Kyou's Mega still got to him. A Rock-type move, it did four times the damage to my Mega, which was a Fire/Flying combo. And just like that, the battle was over. I ran over to my Charizard as he reverted back to his regular form, and took him into my arms. He was badly injured, heavily scratched from all the damage.

"You're still the same old rival; you'll never change," Kyou said in a low voice, one he saved for his wins. His Charizard went back to his regular form as he returned to his Pokéball. "I shouldn't be so surprised. I still think you're gonna beat me every time we battle, or at least I hope you would. And you never do. Why don't you just give up already so I don't end up so disappointed each time?"

He left without any more words, leaving me in a bundle of tears. I hated him.

"I'm sorry, Charizard…" I petted his snout, and luckily he was conscious enough to lean into my hand the way he always does. That relaxed me slightly. "You did the best you could, I know. I love you…"


End file.
